Bandura Poster
This cross-Canada tour from the USSR featured the State Bandura Ensemble of the Ukraine. The bandura is a stringed instrument that comes in all sizes from bass to mandolin size. A lively good-natured troupe, we bused across Canada IN FEBRUARY in two big buses. On the prairies in a horizontal blizzard we pulled over at a rest stop. The Bandurists all stood outside in their big fur hats, barely visible through the swirling snow, smoking small potent Russian cigarettes. Said it reminded them of home. They treated us nightly to pepper vodka, a specialty from home that was the colour of brandy with a long red pepper floating in each bottle. It wasn't long before we Canadians started to have stomach issues - the Ukrainians were of course immune. But it was a beautiful vodka.
Program
In light of today's (2020) news regarding Ukraine and Russia, it is sobering to look back at this message that the Bandurists asked us to place on the programs.
